There are many different ways to see the Hawaiian Islands. Some travelers prefer to stay at a luxury villa in Maui or a hotel, while others prefer to join an island-hopping cruise. For the best of both worlds, smart travelers sometimes split their vacation time equally with a one-week cruise followed by a relaxing beachfront stay.

Wherever your cruise takes you, it’s a good idea to get up early and have a plan of what you would like to see on your day out. Here are a few of my personal favorites Hawaii daytrips.

Top Hawaii Daytrips

Go on a Hike

If you’ve made one too many trips to the cruise buffet, here’s your chance to burn a few calories! The Ioa Valley trail in Maui for example, is a beautiful hike that will provide some breathtaking views of Maui’s tropical hillsides, and is only a 15 minute drive from the popular Maui port of Kahului. This hiking trail peaks at roughly 1,200 feet and shouldn’t take more than 2 – 3 hours to fully enjoy. Some hikers will even jump into the river at the base of the hiking trail to cool off. A decently challenging hiking trail.

Take a Road Trip

Rent a convertible and take The Road to Hana, one of Hawaii’s most famous road trips. Don’t be fooled by its distance, even though your map says its only about 50 miles from Kahului to Hana, the windy road will feel much longer and will take several hours when you factor in all the stops for taking photos. Along the way you’ll experience Maui’s coastline, see natural waterfalls, take countless bridges and have a chance to buy produce from local fruit stands. Get your camera ready and budget a full day – this is one road trip you’ll never forget!

Visit the Historical Sites

Chances are your cruise ship will make its way to Honolulu at some point and this is where you’ll have the opportunity to visit one of America’s most famous landmarks, Pearl Harbor. Here you’ll find the USS Arizona and Battleship Missouri Memorials and learn about the attack that took place through an impressive 20-minute documentary video. This is Hawaii’s most popular site drawing over 1.5 million travelers annually.

There are many worthwhile sites and attractions to visit while taking a cruise in Hawaii, too many to cover in this blog post. Make the most of each stop by avoiding the usual souvenir shops and try something active, local and adventurous. You can catch up on sleep when you return to the ship so get out there and really see what the Hawaiian Islands can offer you!

About Susanne Richards: Suzanne regularly writes about Maui villa rentals and her latest travel adventures for Luxury Retreats. An active traveler, Suzanne loves to surf, hike and explore new beaches in Hawaii and the Caribbean.

Day 7 – A beach all to yourselves

On the east side of the island, just 11 miles up the road north of the Airport, there is the secluded Donkey Beach that we’ll have all to ourselves.

It is a perfect opportunity to enjoy the sun, water, and beauty without the crowds. In the middle of the beach we’ll find a tree that beckons us to cool off in its shadow.

We’ll also find a cove right by the beach that regularly has fantastic snorkeling.

Smile for the camera and get a bronzed tan before we hop on the plane for the somber ride home to the every day life of ours… *sigh*

If you have the opportunity to go there, please do – and report back to us with lots and lots of photos!

Lifecruiser ♥ Donkey Beach

 
Earlier articles:

Hawaii’s Grand Canyon – Day 6
Sunny Poipu – Day 5
Princeville Zipping and Rowing – Day 4
Ke’e Beach – Day 3
Na Pali Coast – Day 2
Kauai Escape – Day 1
 

Day 6 – Hawaii’s Grand Canyon from above

It would be a sin to go to Kauai and not see the famed “Grand Canyon of the Pacific”.

Waimea Canyon on the south side of the island is 3,600 feet deep, 1 mile wide, and 10 miles long. The exposed layers of lava on the sides of the canyon are reminiscent of Arizona’s grand canyon.

Today we get to see this masterpiece from the sky. Safari Helicopter Tours takes us on a flight that includes an in depth look at this immense canyon. The helicopters have windows all the way around to give us a full panoramic view.

A look at the layers gives us a window into the historic forming of the island. Every layer of lava is a new volcanic eruption. Combined these numerous eruptions made up the whole of the island over millions of years.

Imagine this truly amazing sight!

Lifecruiser ♥ Hawaii’s Grand Canyon

To be continued tomorrow….

 
Earlier articles:

Sunny Poipu – Day 5
Princeville Zipping and Rowing – Day 4
Ke’e Beach – Day 3
Na Pali Coast – Day 2
Kauai Escape – Day 1
 

Day 5 – Sunny Poipu

After being completely familiar with the north end of Kauai, it is time to go to the sunny south side. As a note of reference – driving from north to south on the island takes roughly an hour.

The nickname of the south side of the island is the “sunny side”. As such, today is peaceful day at Poipu beach. The beach is known for its appeal to groups of travelers – and we’re no exceptions.

There is safe swimming and full amenities in the adjacent park. We’re enjoying a picnic in the shade, Frisbee on the grass, and swimming in the gorgeous water.

Across the way there is a quaint little sandwich shop called Brennecke’s – a good stop for sandwiches at lunch – Yummy!

Lifecruiser ♥ Sunny Poipu

To be continued tomorrow….

 
Earlier articles:

Princeville Zipping and Rowing – Day 4
Ke’e Beach – Day 3
Na Pali Coast – Day 2
Kauai Escape – Day 1
 

Day 4 – Princeville Zipping and Rowing

Today we’ll see the island from a different vantage point – high above on a 750 ft cable!

Again, we’ll go to Princeville in the north for our zipping adventure. We’ll make our booking through Princeville Ranch Adventures (808) 826-7669 – noted as the best company on the island.

We can Zip, Hike, and Kayak all in a day. The “Jungle Valley Adventure” tour goes for four and a half hours and begins at 8:30 AM or 12:30 PM. A day of zipping, hiking, and rowing can be pretty tiring.

We will be smart to go back to our hotel and relax for the night….

What an adventurous experience!

Lifecruiser ♥ Zipping and Rowing

To be continued tomorrow….

 
Earlier articles:

Ke’e Beach – Day 3
Na Pali Coast – Day 2
Kauai Escape – Day 1
 

Day 3 – Ke’e Beach

We’re taking off to the north shore again for a fun day at the beach. Again, we will take the 560 all the way to the end and park, just like yesterday.

This time, instead of dawning our boots, it’s time for flip-flops, snorkeling gear, and a beach towel! Yay!

Ke’e beach has some of the best snorkeling in all of Hawaii!

There is an outer reef that protects the water and allows fish to proliferate. Turtles and fish a plenty for all adventurous souls that want to jump in.

After the warm relaxing day at Ke’e, we will make sure to stop by Lapperts Hawaii and taste their famous ice cream. They are located in Princeville along the 560.

Wow! What a fabulous beach day…!

Lifecruiser ♥ Ke’e Beach

To be continued tomorrow….

 
Earlier articles:

Na Pali Coast – Day 2
Kauai Escape – Day 1
 

Day 2 – Na Pali Coast

We will arise bright and early and make our way to the islands north side. We will take Highway 560 all the way to the end of the highway.

The road will end where our feet will pick up on the Kalalua trail. The trailhead begins right at the end of the road – getting ready for one of the most breathtaking views of our trip.

Due to the rugged nature of the Na Pali coast, it is not traversable by car – so our feet will have to suffice. The Kalalua trail winds along the Na Pali coast for 11 miles.

As we hike along we will might recognize the scenery from some recent Hollywood films. We will certainly NOT forget our cameras, because we never want to forget this incredible experience!

We can hike in as far as we would like and come back. If we want to hike beyond two miles we will need to call the State Parks office for a permit.

What do you say – shall we go for it…?

Lifecruiser ♥ Na Pali Coast

To be continued tomorrow….

 
Earlier article:

Kauai Escape – Day 1
 

One day we’ll make this travel dream come true!

Day 1 – Arrival in Kauai

We’ll touch down at the Lihue international airport in Kauai. One good thing is that we don’t have to worry about planning the trip around a certain season, because Kauai is beautiful all year round with average temperatures around 70-80 degrees.

Right when we get there we’ll feel the “aloha spirit of relaxation”. The sun is shining, the orchids are welcoming us – and every car is going 15 mph slower than normal. In Kauai, the only thing that matters will be the present moment.

We will like to secure a rental car before we arrive and keep it throughout the trip… There is always interesting roads to explore and you’ll never know what to find!

The most favorable locations to stay are on the North side of the island in Princeville or a beach resort in Poipu just 20 minutes south of the airport.

Favorite destinations in Poipu are: The Grand Hyatt, The Villas at Poipu Kai, or the Marriot. I think we would prefer to stay in the villas at Poipu Kai.

Generally flights arrive after dark, so since we’re hungry we will make sure to stop and get a bite in Lihue. After that we will drive to our hotel and kick off our shoes…. ah….

Aloha and welcome to Kauai!

Lifecruiser ♥ Kauai Paradise

To be continued tomorrow….